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How to boost your word of mouth

Marketing

How to boost your word of mouth

Updated: 21 July 2023

Tiana Portugal, Marketing Director at Funding Circle, gives her take on why word of mouth marketing is so important for small businesses, and offers tips to improve yours this year.

Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to promote your business – helping to build trust, and bring more customers to your door. Here are some ideas to think about that can boost your word of mouth marketing, and help your business stand out. 

1.) Gather reviews and testimonials

Good reviews are one of the most common reasons people decide to use a product or service. Ask your customers for testimonials that you can put on your website, email newsletter or any other advertising. Even better, ask them to leave a positive review on platforms like Google, Facebook or TrustPilot, so people can read them when searching businesses like yours. Remember to do this as soon as you deliver your product or service as this is when your customers will be most engaged.  

2.) Make the most of social media 

People are more engaged online than ever, so social media is vital when trying to spread the word. Make sure you’re posting on as regular a basis as you can manage, and get your employees to share your posts on their pages so it reaches more people. Plus, make sure you’re re-posting and responding to any messages you receive about your business. It’s not only free advertising, but also shows that you care about your customers. 

3.) Use a customer referral programme

A customer referral programme is a great way to maintain relationships with existing customers, and spread the word about your business quickly and easily. You could offer a free gift or discount for every new person a customer refers, or a gift card if they refer multiple people – how you do it is up to you. But remember to offer the new customer a discount too, so they feel even more encouraged to get involved. 

4.) Don’t be afraid of incentives 

Incentives don’t have to stop with customer referrals. You could set up a hashtag, and offer a benefit to people who post photos of your products. You could send a thank you gift to your most loyal customers to maintain a great relationship. Or you could run a prize competition on social media and get everyone to enter by sharing the post to their stories. Getting even a handful of people to do this could get your business seen by five times as many people. 

5.)  Make it easy for others to share

Don’t wait for things to happen organically – encourage people to pass on the message and give them the means to do so. Whether it’s business cards, a referral link, a newsletter you can sign up to, or a simple “Share with your friends” on the end of a social post, give your advocates the tools to not just talk about you, but drive business to your door. 

21/07/23: While we want to help as much as we can, the information found here is provided solely for informational purposes and should not be considered financial or legal advice. To the extent permitted by law, Funding Circle does not accept any liability for any loss or damage which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of, or reliance on, the information contained here. If you have any questions, please speak to your professional adviser or seek independent legal advice.

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